The Solution in the Wrongness
by whatever55
Summary: Summary: Tag to Season 8 finale… How can this mess be fixed… if you didn't see the episode don't read until you have, then feel free to come back. Booth POV.
1. Chapter 1

**The Solution in the Wrongness**

**Summary: Tag to Season 8 finale… How can this mess be fixed… if you didn't see the episode don't read until you have, then feel free to come back. Booth POV.**

**If there are any typos let me know because I didn't proof this. Hope you like. Let me know what you think!**

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I had finally forced myself to go to bed. When I got into the room Bones was laying curled up to the corner of her side of the bed. I could tell that she was still awake but knew that she probably had no interest in talking to me after I broke both of our hearts.

I quickly got ready for bed and lay on my back in bed. She didn't curl into me like normal. She actually moved further away. I hadn't thought that it was possible but apparently it was. I sighed.

As soon as I have the chance I am going to murder that son of a bitch. I won't even add it to my list and I really doubt I'll regret it at all. The only thing I'll regret is not doing it sooner. You know like when he was being taken to Egypt with a fake identity… just climb up to the roof…

But it's past now. I just have to kill him before my relationship with Bones is fully destroyed. I can already feel her closing off from me. God, I hate this son of a bitch. I wish I had killed him when I shot him in the car driving away.

_You can't tell Dr. Brennan._

His words kept haunting my mind.

_You can't tell Dr. Brennan. Five innocent people will die if you don't break off the engagement. You can't tell Dr. Brennan why._

That son of a bitch! He better hope that I'm too far away when we do catch him so that it's a quick death by my gun. Otherwise I might just beat him to a bloody pulp, mangling his hands so bad that bye-bye hacking skills and tormenting us! He can live in pain for the rest of his life I don't give a shit!

_You can't tell Dr. Brennan._

_You can't tell Dr. Brennan._

_Dr. Brennan. You can't tell her._

His voice was mocking me in my own head.

_You can't tell Dr. Brennan._

_You can't tell Dr. Brennan._

_You can't tell Dr. Brennan…_

Wait! That's it! I shot up in bed. I could tell Bones was still awake but she made no move to acknowledge my movement. I quickly hopped out of bed and flew downstairs. I knew it was late but I had to make this call now. The phone was ringing.

"'Ello" a groggy voice said.

"Hodgins, it's Booth, sorry for waking you up but I really need to talk to Angela." He suddenly sounded much more awake.

"Is Dr. B. OK."

"You can get the details from your wife later, just please put her on."

"OK," he said, he must have heard the desperation in my voice. It was silent for a few moments and then Angela's voice came over the line.

"Is Bren OK?" was the first thing out of her mouth.

"Look I really can't explain over the phone and I wouldn't call this late if it wasn't important. Can you come over here?" She must have heard my desperation clearly too.

"I'll be over in 10." She told me and hung up.

True to word she pulled up to the house 10 minutes later. I was waiting outside for her.

"What's going on?" she asked me?

"I broke off the engagement." The next thing I knew was there was a hard slap against my face and she was ranting something about proposing to Bagdad Barbie and when the person I really love proposes I toy with her by saying yes and then taking it back. I didn't quite catch it all because I was shocked by the slap. Her hand was over the door. I got myself together enough to put my hand over hers, stopping her from opening the door for a minute.

"What!" she snarled at me, turning to look at me with fury in her eyes.

"Pelant called me." She gasped and I saw her eyes go wide. She also released the doorknob, so I released her hand. "He told me I had to break off the engagement or five innocent people would die. I also couldn't tell her why I was breaking it off or they would still die." She looked confused. "He didn't say that I couldn't tell someone else and they 'accidently' let it slip to her."

"And I gather that is why we are outside in case there is any bugs that were missed in your house. I can be up there comforting her and then whoops a little birdy…"

"Exactly!"

"OK." I watched her open the door and go inside. I followed shortly behind her. While she was upstairs I paced the living room. I couldn't sit still. She eventually came down, looking somber. My heart fell, Bones didn't believe her. Then Angela broke out into a slight grin that was hardly noticeable and he knew it was ok.

"Well, I did what I could do but you got to fix this Studly!" With that one word I knew things had to work out for us.

"Thanks Ange." I then noticed what she was wearing now that things were somewhat settled and couldn't help but to snort. "Nice PJs," I told her looking at the PJs that had pictures of M&Ms all over them, but that were really old and ratty.

"What, you drag me out of the house this late and you get what you get. See you at work." She told me leaving.

I quickly ascended the stairs to our bedroom and went in quietly and carefully. I lay on my back again. This time was different though and she rolled into me, burying her head in my chest.

"I hate him." I heard her mumble, almost unintelligible. I stayed silent, knowing that my silence was answer enough.

I just now have to hope that my loop-hole was actually a loop-hole and that Pelant heard nothing of either conversation.

Why do I doubt it though.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok… so enough of you have either put this on your alerts list or asked for it to be continued so I felt the need to comply… I don't know how long this will be though or how often I will be able to update because I am doing something I never do and typing as I post. Let me know if there is anything that you want to see and I will see if I can put it in… let me know what you think… this will still not be proofread well because I want to get it up when it is typed so let me know if you see something wrong.**

**Chapter 2**

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It was nearing morning, but Booth and Brennan hadn't been sleeping for long when Booth's phone rang. He started smacking his hand around his end table looking for his phone. He picked it up when he found it and flipped it open.

"Booth," he said into the phone groggily. He listened to the voice on the other end and saw Brennan sitting up and looking at him. "We'll be right there," he told the person.

"We've got bodies to go look at," Booth told her, not looking at her.

"Booth—"

"I'll call Max to watch Christine, go get ready," he told her leaving the room. She sighed, but got clothes to go get in the shower. When she got out, Booth was already dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You're not showering?" she asked him.

"Nah I'll come back later and do it before taking Christine to day care and relieving Max of babysitting duties. He's here already so we better get going," he said getting up off the bed and leaving the room. They both said good-bye to Max and left.

The ride to the site was silent. Brennan had no idea where they were going, but didn't ask either. She saw them pull up in front of the Lincoln Memorial and the crime scene tape around it. Booth finally spoke.

"A man walking his dog came across it. He gave his statement to the cops and agreed to come to the Hoover during normal hours."

"Did the security cameras catch anything?"

"No." They walked up the steps silently. Laid at the feet of Lincoln were arms and legs that were arranged in the words 'I TOLD YOU'. One limb consisted of the letter 'I'. 'TOLD' consisted of eight limbs total. 'YOU' consisted of seven limbs. This would total 16 limbs. Cam was already there when they walked up.

She skipped the pleasantries. "I'm unsure given how bloody everything is but by my count of eight arms and eight legs, I'm thinking four bodies. Do you concur, Dr. Brennan?" she asked as Brennan came closer to the body, snapping on gloves. She looked critically at the bones for a while before speaking. She than frowned.

"Bones?" Booth prompted when she continued to not speak.

"No I do not concur, Dr. Saroyan. This arm and this leg belong to the same person," she said pointing to two different limbs, "but they do not match any others. The same with this arm and leg," she said pointing to two more limbs. "You can tell by the size of each. I would say that we have five victims."

Booth walked away.

"What's wrong with Booth?" Cam asked, sensing that he was upset.

"He broke off the engagement with me last night."

"What!? Why?! He—"

"He didn't want to," Brennan interrupted her, knowing where she was going. "If he did marry me Pelant was going to murder five people. He also couldn't tell me or Pelant would still kill five people. He called Angela over to the house last night and I guess told her, at least that was what she implied, when she told me, so I guess Pelant was not happy with that alteration of his rules."

"And now he's blaming himself."

"It appears so." Booth honked his horn to try to get Brennan over to the car. She looked over.

"Go, I'll stay until all this is ready to be shipped to the Jeffersonian."

"Thanks, Cam," Brennan told her, turning around to go to the SUV.

This was going to be a long case. Were they going to survive it was the question.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay on this chapter but I am currently working on 2 other stories (a Bones story and a Bones/Criminal Minds Crossover if anyone is interested) and had a couple of ideas for one of them which caused writers block on this one until I got those ideas down. I think that this story may only have a few chapters to go unless anyone has something that they want to see. If you do either PM me or leave a review. Enjoy and please review.**

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**Chapter 3**

Booth dropped her off at the lab without saying good-bye or giving her a chance to say good-bye. She walked to her office and sat behind her desk. Once she knew that Booth would be in his office she texted him that she loved him. He responded with a simple "yeah". Just then Angela walked into the lab and saw Brennan siting in her office.

"Hey, you're in early. I was expecting you to either be home with Booth all day or at least come in late," she said walking into the office. "I at least thought that if you came in early that Booth would be on your couch." She hadn't heard of the bodies yet because there were no heads for a facial reconstruction and there was no way to determine cause of death for those individual yet with only the limbs so there were no scenarios to run through the computer.

"Pelant made us change our plans. He murdered five people not long after you told me what you figured happened. Booth isn't himself right now. I believe that he is blaming himself for their deaths which is ludicrous because he did not actually say anything."

"Um, Sweetie, I wasn't exactly truthful. He did tell me. He was told by Pelant that he couldn't tell you so he told me to tell you and tell you that I figured it out. Apparently Pelant had ears outside though. Do you need me to do anything for you, sweetie?" Brennan shook her head no. "Don't worry, Booth can't stay in his funk for long." Brennan shook her head again.

"You didn't see him. Booth has a way of blaming himself for everything quite effectively."

"Don't worry, Sweetie. Soon it will be behind both of you and then we can really get your wedding planned," she said walking from the room. "I'll make sure of it," she said to herself.

She was making a pit stop on the way to her office.

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As soon as she got to her pit stop she walked into the office. She didn't even knock.

"You ok?" she asked, sitting in a chair across from the desk. The chair was facing to the wall. It didn't turn around and no one answered her. She got up and put her hand on the back of the chair. "Booth?" she asked turning it around. It turned easily. Booth wasn't there. Just then Sweets walked into the room. He looked up from the paper that he was reading to see Angela looking at him but no Booth.

"Oh, Angela! Have you seen Booth?" Sweet's said surprised to not see Booth in the office.

"No, do you have any idea where he could be. I need to find him."

"No. I expected him to be here."

"You haven't heard what happened, did you?"

"No. Should I have?"

"Pelant killed five people because Booth was told that he had to break off the engagement and not tell her why but he told me so that I could tell her and apparently that made Pelant throw a major temper tantrum that he found a loop-hole."

"Oh, geez… How is he taking it?"

"Is he here?" Angela asked him like it was a stupid question.

"Good point."

"Where would he go?" Angela questioned him.

"I don't know," Sweets told her.

"You don't know yet you constantly study them. If you can't figure it out you definitely went into the wrong job," she told him, turning around, tired of his uselessness.

"Wait!" he told her. She stopped walking but stayed turned from him. "My best thought is that he's gone to track down Pelant."

"You're kidding right!" she told him whirling around on him. "This is Booth we're talking about. You know play it by the rules Booth…" she just trailed off figuring her message was clear, that Sweets was insane. She turned her back on him again. "You really do need a new job," she told him leaving the room. Sweets just hung his head and returned to his office.

Angela left the Hoover trying to find Booth.

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After driving all around D.C. she finally found him sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Monument.

She climbed up the steps. He was so out of it he didn't even sense her coming up to him. She smacked him again.

"Ow! What the hell, Angela! Is smacking me your new hobby?" Booth asked her, standing up and rubbing his cheek.

"Only when you are being stupid or I think you're being a jerk." Booth opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "Why the hell are you blaming yourself for those deaths?"

"Pelant told me she couldn't know but I didn't listen. Those five people are dead because of me," he said sinking back down onto the step again and looking down. She slowly sat next to him.

"That is the stupidest thing I ever heard," she told him bluntly. "You told me that you couldn't tell her and that's what I believe happened. You wouldn't have told me to imply it to her if he told you that she couldn't know. You wouldn't have risked innocents like that. So either Pelant threw a major temper tantrum at you finding the loophole or it was my fault because I am the one who told her."

"It's not your fault!" Booth was quick to assure her, looking at her. "Pelant is the one who killed them, not you."

"So if it's not my fault and I actually told her how is it your fault if you only told me?" she asked him. His eyes widened, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out of it. "Cat got your tongue, huh, Booth?"

"Um…"

"Can you stay out of your pity party long enough so that I can tell you my idea?"

"Ok," he told her. She told him her plan. He widened his eyes. "You can't be serious!" he told her thinking that she was nuts.

"But I am. This is totally gonna work! Pelant won't be able to pass up on the opportunity!"

"You really want me to not tell Bones though! This plan of yours involves her!"

"I know but it will be more real to Pelant if she doesn't know because I am pretty sure that he'd be able to tell something is off if she knows!"

"It's also going to be more real to her!"

"I know. I'm sorry," she told him. "Whatever the consequences I'll take the fallout from."

"Yeah well you better hope that they aren't to major, for both of our sakes," he said getting up and walking away to make the plans because he didn't see any other way for this to end.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Once Angela got back to the lab she went to Brennan's office and found her typing steadily on her computer. Angela sat on the couch across from her desk. She knew that Brennan knew that she was there so she started talking.

"I spoke to Booth," she told her. She had her attention now.

"You didn't need to do that," Brennan told her.

"I know but I choose to. Anyway, when he calls you just do what he says. Don't ask questions please!" she begged Brennan.

"What?" Brennan asked. She didn't understand.

"Just trust me. Trust Booth. I had an idea and eventually convinced him to go along with it. If something goes wrong it's my fault Sweetie so don't blame him."

"I still don't understand."

"Just go with what he says for now. We'll explain after if you haven't figured it out by then."

"Ok," she said. She was clearly not happy with it but decided she would go with it for now.

"Thank you, Sweetie. It's time that you and Booth had normalcy again, at least normalcy for us." Angela went to leave the room. When she got to the door she turned around. "Oh and don't worry about Christine when Booth calls. I got her. We need some girl time anyway."

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_Booth's and Brennan's Home_

When Booth got home he changed his clothes into another suit. He then made the calls he needed to make and got the tickets he needed to get. He sent Angela a text saying he did that. He then grabbed to small bags out of the closet and packed 2 changes of cloths for him and Brennan in case they were needed. He then went to Christine's room and packed some clothes, diapers, toys and everything else she might need that wasn't at daycare with her already.

He picked up all three bags, shutting off all the lights and going downstairs. He made sure that all of the lights were off and then left the house, locking the door behind him.

He put the bags in the trunk of the SUV and then got in and drove to the Jeffersonian.

Once he got to the Jeffersonian, he got Christine's bag out of the trunk. He brought it to Angela's office.

"Everything she might need is in here," he said putting it on the couch. "If she needs—" Angela interrupted him.

"Booth, I know how to take care of a child. I get that you are worried but me taking care of Christine is not one of the things you need to be worrying about."

"Ok," he said grudgingly and she knew that he would still worry about her anyway. "You just better hope that this plan of yours works."

"It already is starting to. He hacked into the system and knows everything."

"Then let's hope it continues to work," he told her leaving the office and heading towards Brennan's office.

"Knock, Knock," he said standing in the doorway, with a slight smile.

She looked up from her computer. "Hi," she responded, then she got a questioning look on her face. "I thought you hated that suit?"

"Yeah but I wanted to change before I came to pick you and it's at least kind of comfortable cause it's a little loose."

"Ok."

"Can we get out of here?" he asked.

"Sure," she responded. She started packing up her things. She looked up to him as she did so. "Where are we going?"

"Airport," he told her. "Just trust me please?!" he asked her when she opened her mouth to speak. She shut it. "Thank you. Christine is going to need to stay with Angela while we are there. Our flight is in two hours so that we have time to say good-bye to her." She nodded and he could tell that she wasn't happy to be leaving her. "It's so that we know she is safe with Pelant still out there. You know that they have a really good security system and we won't." She nodded again and came over to him and the door. Before she could leave, he grabbed her and held her close kissing her. He laid his forehead on hers looking her in the eyes. "You know I love you, right?" he asked her.

"I know. I love you, too," she said pulling away and walking out to go to the daycare.

When they got to the daycare, Brennan started by talking to the staff so that they were aware that Angela was going to pick Christine up with Michael. Booth went for their daughter. She squealed when she saw him coming.

"Dada!"

"Hey, pumpkin," he said picking her up and holding her high, making her giggle. "You being a good girl?" She giggled again in response. "Me and Mommy have to go somewhere so your Aunt Angie is going to pick you up. We'll miss you though and see you real soon." She smacked his cheek obviously telling him she didn't like that idea. Brennan laughed. He hadn't noticed her come over and handed Christine to her.

"Ma!"

"Hi, Christine. Mommy is going to miss you but I'll be home real soon. Have fun with Angela, ok." Christine giggled like she was agreeing to what Brennan told her. Brennan and Booth both kissed her and then let her join the other kids. They left looking back to see her all smiles with the other kids before they left.

"We better come back for her Booth and not be abandoning her Booth," Brennan told him after they left, walking slightly ahead of her.

"Hey," he said grabbing her arm, turning her to him, and holding her close. "We aren't abandoning her. I promise," he said knowing where her words came from. "And even IF we ever had to for her safety she would be well loved and provided for by Hodgins and Angela, but I promise you that we are not abandoning her. If everything goes really right, we'll be home tonight. If everything goes mostly right we will be home by tomorrow morning or afternoon depending on what flight we can get on. And even if things go wrong we will still be home by tomorrow night."

"Ok. I trust you." He kissed her.

"Thank you."

When they got to the airport they actually quickly made their way through check in and security since they did not have any check in luggage. They were told what gate they needed to go to. While walking there they passed bathrooms.

"Before we get to the gate I'm going to go to the bathroom," Booth told her. "If you want I can take your bag so you can go to or I can meet you at the gate."

"I will meet you at the gate," she told him.

"Ok," he responded going to the restroom.

"Do you want me to take your bag with me?"

"Nah, I got it. I'll be there in a couple of minutes." She headed for the gate and he went into the restroom.

He came over to the gate where their flight was going to take off and sat down next to Brennan waiting for them to be able to board. They stayed silent because neither really had anything to say. Brennan wanted to know what they were doing but she understood not being able to so she didn't even bother to ask. Booth wanted to tell her but knew that it may be important that she didn't know the plan. He didn't agree with Angela but Angela thought that it was necessary and he didn't want to risk not putting an end to Pelant. A voice then came over the speaker for that gate.

"Now boarding First Class to JFK." Booth started to stand and grabbed his bag. Brennan looked at him as he stood, standing also and taking her bag.

"New York?" she questioned him.

"Yep," he said, "wanted to be fairly close to D. C. still and New York can do what I need it to do."

"First Class?" she questioned as they got in line and Booth handed over both tickets to be scanned.

"Well you only like traveling First Class and I figured since the FBI wasn't paying for me, why not treat me too," he said flashing his charm smile at her. She rolled her eyes and they boarded the plane.

Soon everyone was on the plane and the plane headed for the runway. There was no delay so they were quickly in the air. Both Booth and Brennan still stayed quiet but they were holding hands as Brennan looked out the window. Soon the flight landed and Booth and Brennan got off the plane.

They made their way through the airport silently and had gotten to baggage claim because even though they didn't need to pick up bags they still figured it would be easy to walk through there to go to the area to rent a car.

They were walking through when someone spoke.

"Agent Booth!" the person called. They both turned around and came face to face with Pelant.

"Pelant," Booth responded, pulling Brennan behind him more.

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**So considering that I only received one review last chapter I'm guessing everyone is as sick of Pelant as I am. Next chapter will be the last one then unless I get people looking for an epilogue and give me ideas for it because I have none.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this was finished last Sunday but I was really busy and didn't have a chance to put it up until today. As of now this is the last chapter. If you want an epilogue you need to give me some ideas and ask for one otherwise I am idealess. Please review.**

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**Chapter 5**

They stood there staring at one another. No one spoke for a while. Pelant eventually spoke.

"I told her that you couldn't tell her! You broke that rule!"

"I broke no rule. You told me that I couldn't tell Brennan, not that I couldn't tell someone to tell her. I found a loop hole. Not my fault you were too stupid to think of it." Brennan couldn't believe what Booth was saying. Was he really trying to make Pelant mad?

"Booth," she whispered to him, worried. He reached behind her and grabbed her hand, silently telling her that it would be ok.

"So, what do you want Pelant?" Booth asked sounding bored of him.

"What do I want? What do I want!? You know what I want. I want you to suffer. I want you to break her heart. I want you to be miserable like you should be. You thought I wouldn't find out about you marrying here. But you were wrong. You are always wrong. I am far superior than your brainless minds. You will pay dearly for your stupidity." Pelant quickly took out a gun that was concealed under his jacket and fired a shot at Booth. He hit him in the chest and Booth fell to the ground.

Pelant now caught the attention of security, who now had him surrounded and had their guns facing him. Everything was happening so fast that Brennan was still standing and Pelant now had the gun trained on her. The security guards were shouting at him to drop the gun. When it was clear that he was about to pull the trigger again, one of them fired a shot. That officer did not have a clear shot for his hand though, and he could see from his vantage point that nobody did, so he had to take a kill shot and shot him in the head. Pelant fell to the ground dead.

Brennan finally moved and knelt next to Booth.

"Booth!" she shouted. She thought it was a little weird that blood wasn't coming through his shirt and started to unbutton it quickly.

Once she opened his shirt she saw that he was wearing a bullet proof vest but taped over it was a piece of paper that said in Booths scrawl 'I LOVE YOU' and on the next line 'MARRY ME?' The bullet went through the 'O' of 'you'. She had tears in her eyes and looked up at him to see his eyes pen and staring at her.

"Bones?" he asked.

She shook her head and smacked him hard against the cheek before leaning down and kissing him. After she kissed him she pulled away and spoke.

"Angela already told me that this was all her idea and if I was going to be mad at anyone be mad at her," she whispered harshly making it clear to him that she wasn't finished. "But if you ever fake your death again or fake getting shot in the chest again, you won't have to worry about being killed by a criminal because I will kill you myself. Are we clear?" she asked him.

"I love you, too," he told her. At her glare he continued. "Cristal," he told her. At her satisfied look he just had to continue. "But you know I didn't fake getting shot in the chest. I actually did get shot. Hurt like hell too," he told her with a charm smile, trying to get her less angry. She skillfully got the sign off his vest and put it in her pocket because she was expecting a guard to come over soon.

"I would imagine so. You probably have a couple broken ribs from that bullet."

"Are you both alright?" a security guard asked, walking over to them.

"Yes we are, but he probably has a couple of broken ribs from the bullet and should have an x-ray," Brennan told the guard.

"Ok," the guard responded, helping Booth off the floor so that if his ribs were broken they wouldn't cause more damage. "And you both are?"

"I'm Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI. This is my partner Dr. Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institute."

"And that is?" the guard asked nodding his head in the direction of Pelant and the other guards moving him out of baggage claim.

"Christopher Pelant."

"That hacking genius? He didn't look like the mug shot that we have for him."

"Booth shot him in the face when he was fleeing a scene. You must not have received an updated image of him," Brennan explained.

"Yeah, but that was because he never actually came face to face with us again after I shot him," Booth said.

"True," Brennan conceded. Brennan changed the subject. "I should get you to the hospital so they can get x-rays of your ribs so we can go home."

"I'll give you both a lift there. I know a nurse that I can ask to get you in without waiting for hours in the ER."

"Thanks Dan," Booth told the guard.

"Wait a minute…" Brennan started. "You know him!" Brennan said glaring daggers at Booth.

"Well… um… you see… um…" Brennan interrupted him.

"You planned on getting shot!"

"No!" Booth said quickly. "I planned on a confrontation with Pelant, but not on him shooting me. I had no idea he was going to do that. I thought maybe draw a knife and then some of my FBI buddies from the New York offices could take him down, but I really didn't think he had a gun. The vest was more if he tried to stab me and I couldn't duck quick enough or nobody could stop him fast enough. I promise, Bones," he told her.

"Honestly, that is true," Dan defended Booth. "When he called us all up that was what he told us that Pelant would probably have a knife and go after him but be prepared for anything."

"I still don't like it."

"I know, Bones. I didn't like hiding the idea from you either but Angela thought it best if your reaction was more real if they didn't get Pelant right after he shot me. She was afraid that even a slight something gave it away that something was up Pelant would know." She nodded at his response to her but didn't say anything.

"So, are we going to the hospital or not?" Dan asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, thank you, Dan," Brennan told him, "that would be much appreciated." Booth wisely chose to stay silent because even though he didn't think he needed to go to the hospital he would give Brennan that one.

Soon they arrived at the hospital and Booth and Brennan sat in chairs while Dan went to go find the nurse that likes him. After a few minutes they came back over to where Booth and Brennan were sitting and the nurse brought him and Brennan to the back and a small cubicle and bed.

"I'll wait here for you guys to come back," Dan said sitting as they left.

"Dan told me that you are wearing a bulletproof vest. You are going to need to remove it to be x-rayed," the nurse, who introduced herself as Casey before, told Booth. "I will come back to get you when the machine is free," she said leaving the cubicle.

"Let's get your shirt and vest off," Brennan told him. "Sit," she commanded, pointing to the edge of the bed. He did as she requested. She started to unbutton the buttons of his shirt that were redone before they left the airport.

"You know I can get the buttons," he told her.

"I know but you probably have broken ribs so rather than aggravating them more I should get it," she said finishing unbuttoning his shirt and carefully removing it. The sign on his vest was showing again.

"You never did give an answer," Booth reminded her.

"Now, Booth, really!" Brennan said exasperated. "You just got shot, that's why it was on your vest!" she continued, angrily undoing the velcro of the vest to get it off him. "You don't mean it," she said. Booth gulped at her using his words against him. She was looking at his vest like it was the most fascinating thing she's ever seen.

"Bones," Booth said raising his hand to her chin and pulling her head up so that she was looking him in the eye once she got his vest off. "I never, NEVER, wanted to say no to you. You understand me?!" he told her forcefully. She didn't respond. "You understand?!" he told her still more forcefully but with desperation in his voice. She nodded slightly. He could tell that she still didn't really believe it. "Bones, there is nothing that I want more than for you to be happy. I would love it if being married to me would make you happy, because there is nothing that I want more than to be married to you, but I understand if you don't want that anymore. I will take whatever you can and want to give," he told her. She stayed silent. "Bones?" he questioned, getting worried when she didn't outright say no to marrying him. He was started to fear that she was going to tell him that she doesn't want anything to do with him anymore.

"I need to think," she told him. That response made him feel even more uneasy.

"Ok," he told her anyway. "Are we ok, though?" he had to ask.

"Yes," she said without hesitation and strongly and he could tell that she meant it this time. She slipped his shirt back onto his shoulders and buttoned a couple.

Before he could respond, Casey came back with a wheelchair. "I know you can walk but it's hospital policy," she told him smiling me. At his shocked look that she knew what he was going to say, she explained, "Dan warned me that you were a horrible patient and hated these chairs." He grudgingly got into the wheelchair and they were off to the x-ray machine with Brennan calling behind him that she'd wait there.

Soon he was back and seated on the bed again as they waited for the x-rays to be developed. Soon a doctor walked in with the developed images.

"I'm Doctor Brady," he told them, shaking their hands.

"Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan," Booth introduced themselves.

"Well, Mr. Booth," he told them with neither of them correcting that it was Agent Booth. "It appears that you have two broken ribs," the doctor told him, sliding the x-rays onto the lighted board. Brennan looked closely at the x-rays.

"Actually," she said pointing to the image, "He's got two broken ribs and one cracked one."

"Yes, but as you can see, it is not cracked that bad. It should heal within a few days. So the main concern is the broken ones. I would recommend that you stay off your feet for at least a week, preferably two so that they may heal faster and more properly and still after that to take it easy and no heavy lifting for at least another four weeks after that. You should get more x-rays done at that point to make sure everything healed appropriately. I can write you a script should you have any pain," he offered.

"Nah, thanks, I'll just stick with the over the counter stuff if I need anything. Prescription stuff never seems to like me and makes me talk crazy."

The doctor laughed. "Well, ok then, you are free. It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you don't take this the wrong way but I would prefer to not see you again," he said moving to shake hands again.

It was Booth's turn to laugh. "Not taken the wrong way at all," he responded standing up.

"You can also wrap your ribs if that makes them feel better."

"Will do," Booth said as the doctor left the room. "Ready to get out of here, Bones," he asked her.

"Yes," she said picking up their bags. She had deposited his vest in his before. They both left the room. Dan was still waiting for them in the waiting room.

"So?" he asked when they came closer to him.

"Two broken ribs and a cracked one," Booth said. "Could have been worse so thanks."

"Not a problem. You can stop thanking me for saving your life," he said smiling. "Anywhere you need me to bring you guys?" he asked.

"Well unfortunately the next flight I could get is for tomorrow at 11am so I guess a hotel for the night," Booth said looking at Brennan, clearly telling her that he was sorry they couldn't get home tonight.

"No," Brennan told him shaking her head. "It's still early enough. We can drive home tonight and then pick Christine up early tomorrow. I want to go rent a car and go home." She looked determined and Booth wasn't going to argue with her.

"Our daughter," he told Dan at his look of confusion. Booth nodded to Brennan. "Ok." He looked back to Dan. "Can you drive us to the nearest rental place?" Booth asked him.

"Don't be stupid!" Dan told him. "I'll drive you guy's it'll be quicker for you and I have tomorrow off. We can use the sirens on my SUV. I haven't broken the rules yet this month so…" Booth just shook his head and knew he'd lose the argument with Dan as well.

"Ok then. It's your head," Booth warned him. Dan just looked at him like who cares.

The trip to D.C. was silent of any serious topics. The quiet was mostly filled by Booth and Dan sharing humiliating stories of the other to Brennan from when they were in the FBI academy. Before they knew it they had arrived at Booth's and Brennan's house. Brennan climbed out of the backseat and got their bags out of the trunk. Before Booth could get out Dan spoke.

"Give me a call every once in a while. We should get together for something fun every once in a while. Not that shooting that creep wasn't fun…" he said smiling somewhat. They both knew though it was a cover for killing a person.

""Will do," Booth told him. "And if you're ever in D.C. just stop by. I'm sure Christine would love to meet you." They decided that since they got back later than they thought they would to pick her up tomorrow morning.

"I'll be sure of it," Dan told him as Booth got out of the car and shut the door. Dan waved and drove away.

Brennan and Booth went into their home and went upstairs to their bedroom. Brennan just put the bags on the floor in the corner and said that she would take care of them in the morning. They quickly cleaned up a little and got ready for bed. Booth also wrapped his ribs so that he didn't do more damage to them.

They both went to bed and Booth fell asleep quickly laying on his back. Brennan stayed awake looking at him and thinking.

After a couple hours of not sleeping and thinking, Brennan shook him.

"Booth, are you asleep?" she whispered.

"I'm not anymore," he said groggily, turning his head to look at her. "What's going on? Are you ok?" he asked.

"I've been thinking," she told him and he couldn't help but to snort.

"This is breaking news, how? You are always thinking."

"Just listen to me."

"Ok," he told her confused, but she now had his full attention.

"Yes," Brennan said simply.

"Um, Bones, you're going to need to help me out here. My brain doesn't work the way yours does and it doesn't work at all at," he looked at the clock, "3am."

"I've been thinking. I do want to marry you. It isn't fair to either of us to say no when we both wanted it before Pelant forced you to say no and—" she was cut off by Booth rolling over, grimacing but not paying attention to the pain his ribs just sent through him, and kissing Brennan.

"Good," he told her rolling onto his back again and pulling her into his side. "But if we want to plan it the way we want it we better not let Angela know until the plans are made."

"I concur," she said and they both fell asleep quickly with smiles on their faces thinking of the wedding to come.


End file.
